Calculating machine



July 7, 1936.

A. KOTTMANN CALCULATING MACHINE Original Filed June 1,1934 5Sheets-Sheet l EEIEIBEIEHEEIEI July 7, 1936. KOTTMANN 2,046,329

' CALCULATING MACHINE Original Filed June 1, i954 5 Sheets-Sheet2lgwl/enfor'k il-Mm July 7, 1936. A. KOTTMANN 2,046,329

CALCULATING MACHINE Original Filed June 1, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Jab ziw

July 7, 1936. A. KOTTMANN 0 ,3

CALCULATING MACHINE Original Filed June 1, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 July 3A. KOTTMANN 2,046,329

CALCULATING upcnmn 0ri gina.l Filed June 1, '1954 5 sheets sheet 5metres. m 7, 1936 v UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE 2.00.829 cswnm'mrd moms August Kottmann, Sommerda,Gcman'y, assignor to Bheinische Metallwaarenund Maschinenfabrik,Dusseldorf, Germany, a corporation of G original application has 1,1934, Serial No.

728,603. Divided and this application March 5, 1935, Serial No. 9,510.In Germany June 6, 1933 6 Claims. (01. iii-4:)

adapted to be set thereby relatively to the printing line of a platen orpaper roller, the present application being a division of applicant'sco-pending application, Serial No. 728,- 603,-flledJune 1, 1934.

An object of the present invention is to provide a uniform non-impactiveprinting pressure to the type bars which shall be independent of theeffort applied to-the keys or other operating devices of the machine.

Another object of the present invention is to provide printing contactbetween the paper on the platen and the type bars by converting kineticenergy of moving weights into gradual pressure against the type i Theinvention will be described with reference tothe accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 shows the calculating machine according to the invention, thecover plates and accumulator being removed.

.Fig. 2 is a plan of the setting gear, with the setting members.

Fig. 3 is a.view, from below, showing the ratchet gear for the settingmember carriage.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the members for actuating the ratchetgear.

Fig. 5 shows the actuating device for the return stroke of the carriage.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal; section through the entire machine, with theparts 'in the initial position.

Fig. 7 shows the arrangement of an actuating rac Fig. 8 is a viewcorresponding to Fig. 6 and shows the position of the parts when theoperating handle is drawn forward, shortly before the printing of acalculated value.

Fig. 9 shows the .change in position of the parts of the printing,mechanism after the im: pression.

' Fig. 10 represents details of the printing Fig. 11 is a side elevationof the drive for the control of the accumulator.

Fig. 12 shows the accumulator, with its control members in positionafter being coupled, to the actuating members.

Fig. 13 is a side elevation showing the parts in their positions foraddition.

Fig. 4 is the frontelevation of a detail of a contr ;member. v a

-The numerical values to be introduced into the machine are introducedin known manner,

by means of the keys I (Figs. 1 and 6), key levers la. and intermediatelevers 2, into the' setting pins 3 of the carriage '4. The settin pinsthus raised serve as stops for racks forming the setting members 3|,which are mounted in guide notches of the carriage 4, and, in being set,actuate at the same time indicating wheels 30 which are also mounted onsaid carriage. The number of setting members 3! is the same as that 0!the rows of setting pins I. When any of the keys is struck, thecorresponding key lever la depresses a lever i0 (Figs. 6

and 8) which by means of 9. lug 35 releases a 15 pawl .34 engaging thecorresponding setting member ll. Said member 3|, which was previouslyretained in the neutral position by the pawl 34, is then tree to beactuated by a spring '32 (Fig. 2) and moves towards the left (Figs.

4 and is mounted on, arplate 95 of the machine frame, the carriage 4 ismoved to the left (Figs. 1, 2) to an extent corresponding to the spacingof two adjacent rows of setting pins by the action of a spring M (Fig.2) each time a key is struck, so that the rows of setting pins pass insuccession over the ends of the intermediate levers 2 and the pawls 34pass in succession over the lug 35 on the lever I0.

I The ratchet mechanism is actuated by the lever Ill (Fig. 6) arrangedbelow the key levers is (Fig. 6). When any of the keys I is struck, thecorresponding key lever is depresses the lever III, which in turndepresses the arm Ila of a lever ll (Fig. 4) andthus turns the lever llabout the pivot ilb. A presser bar It which in turn rocks a pawl 8 isarticulated at I2 to the lever II. The pawl 8 actuates the two ratchetpawls 6, I in the desired manner.

The carriage 4 is returned to its original posi tion when, to effect anaddition or asubtraction, the handle I5 is rocked forwardly andbackwardly. The movement of the handle i5 is transmitted, byintermediate members l6, l1, l8 (Figs. 1 and 13), a shaft 45a, 9.one-armed lever il (Figs; 1- and 5), and a thrust bar 20, to a thrustpawl 23. The bar 20 has an arm 20a (Fig. '5) by which it is guided in amember 2| mounted in the base of the machine. The thrust pawl 23actionofaspring ",sgainstastopflonthe thrustbar. Aslongasthehandleliisinnormal position, the thrust pawl 23 is-held in the position shown indotted lines-in Rig. because the'arm 23a of the pawl 23 bearsagainstapin 23b on the machine frame. When the handle is moved forwardly thebar 20 is moved to the right (Fig. 5) whereby as the arm 23a of the pawl22 is retracted from the pin 23b, the pawl passes into the positionshown in full lines in Fig. 5. when the handle it is returned to normalposition and the bar 20 with pawl 22 moves to the left in Fig. 5, thepawl 23 encounters an arm a. on a driver lever 22 (F188. 1, 2, 5)pivoting on a pin 27 and having an arm with a forked end 28b engaging apin 22 on the carriage l. The rocking movement of the lever 26 forcesthe carriage 4 back into the original position (Fig. 1), while, at thesame time, the pins 3, set at the beginning of the operation, are forcedback into their original position, sliding under a member 2| providedwith a bevel. Shortly before the handle II returns to its initialposition the am 230 of the pawl 23 again en'- counters the pin 22b onthe machine frame whereby the pawl is restored to the. position shown indotted lines in Fig. 5. If anew number is now set up in the carriage land the latter moves from its normal position, the arm 26a of the lever26 can move freely over the pawl 23.- The return of the setting membersII will be described later.

Driving or on racks 31 (lflgs. 1, 6, '1,

and 8') on which are riveted secondary racks 38,

are provided in the same number and displaceable in the same directionand to the same extent as the setting members 3| in a frame 36 (Pig. 1)mounted in the frame of the machine. Secured on the transmission racksII are coupling members ll (Figs. 1, 6, 7, 8) which are adapted to turnon pivot pins 82', and are swung by springs -ll (Fig.7)inthedirectionofamembcrll (Figs. 6 and 8) on a frame 42 carryinganaccumulator ill, said frame being disposed above the racks 37 andpivotally mounted on a shaft 44. The accumulator ill can be raised andlowered by turning, the accumulator fram'eabout the shaft M and thusbrought into or out of engagement with the racks ll by means of theintermediate pinions ll. The accumulator I0] is raised and lowered bymeans of a curved member 48 (Figs. 11 and 12) mounted on a shaft whichis actuated through intermediate members- 92, 93, as (Fig. 1) by'a shaft"a, which also effects the return movement of the carriage l and isactuated in-turn by the handle it. When the forward movement of thehandle it and of members ll into engagement with the teeth of thesetting members or control racks 3! (Fig. 8). Together with the curvedmember 4! a positive movement is imparted to a riveted hook-ll) (Figs.11, 12) which ages behind a pin II provided on the accumulator frame andthus retains the accumulator in the coupled position (Fig. 12).

.theoriginalpolltlonmmm.

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.to the curved member 40 and under the tension of a spring '2, so thatduring the return of the handle into its original position, the guideroller 41 runs back over the upper surface of the curved member and isable to swing the accumul'ator back into neutral position by suitablydisposed springs (not shown).

Consequently, during the forward movement of the handle I, theaccumulator is brought into engagement with the racks 38, and isdisengaged during the return movement. Similarly during the forwardmovement of the handle, the transmission racks fl, 3| are coupled withthe setting member Ii the coupling members 40 actuated by theaccumulator'frame 42 through the member 42, the i=:' in the returnmovement.

when the handle II is moved forward, a driver bar 85 (Figs. 1,12,}, 8,-11) is advanced the distance corresponding to the numerical value "9 byconnectinfi'ods 21, I! (Figs. 11, 13). By this means all the settingmembers 3| previously setinaccordancewiththeitemstobeadded, w

are returned to the zero position. Thereby the ton;racks 21 coupled tothe setting members 2i byflithe coupling members 4. are moved through adistance to the amount set. Excessive movement is preventedbyalimitlngbar I. (Figs. 8 and 8), which is mounted in the carriage 4transversely in the front of the each of the setting members 3i andstops the latter from being moved beyond the Assoonasthehandlellhasreachedtheend 'of its forward stroke the accumulator IOI comes outof t with the on racks ll, 22 as'already described and thesettingmembers Share uncoupled from the on racks, said members and thenumerical control rollersflbeingthusagainsettonero.

lathe returnstroke of thehandle II and driver bar ll into the originalposition, the latter encounters hooked projections llc (Figs. 6R1, 8) ofthe racks "and pushes the latter back into Excessive movement ispreventedby a limiting bar ll (Figs. 6, '7, 8) mountedintheframelltransverselyacrossthe ends of the racks 81 which prevents them frombeing moved beyond the original position. Consequently. the movement ofthe.on racksQLfliswhollyposiiivenospringsbeing employed therefor.

Whenthesettingmembersareinthe position corresponding to the numericalvalue 9" the) driver II is closelyengagedbctwemtheopposingsurfacesdthehooksllcandsetting members 3!. whensaid members are set for the value "0" the driver can reciprocatebetween thetwosurfaces toan extentcorrespondingtow the value 9" withoutdisplacing the racks I] or the members II. when the member II issetinaccordancewiflithevalue 3"the-drivertidescribesatfirstatthebeginningofboththe forward and return strokes, anidle movement corresponding tothe value 8"and thenpushes 11wtheaidoftwostops (hoakllczsettingfl driver '85 are connected by means oflongitudinal slots 81a, 88a (Figs. 11 and 13) with the arm I8 and thecurved member 48 of the shaft 45a and 45. Consequently, at the beginningof the forward and return strokes, the handle I describes a certainmovement during which the driver 85 is not moved. During this movement,the accumulator IIII is brought respectively into and out of engagementand the setting member coupled with or uncoupled from,

' the driving racks. These operations therefore,

proceed with the driver 85 at rest.

Intermediate pinions 49 (Figs. 6, 8) are in engagement with thetransmission racks 31. The

upper portions of the toothed rims of these intermediate pinions 49 areon. a level with the gear teeth of the racks 38 riveted on the trans.-

mission racks 31. .The accumulator IIII is laterally displaceable to aslight extent. When it is pushed towards the right; the intermediate'pinionsj 89 of. the accumulator engage with on a shaft 88, parallelwith the axis of the the racks 38 and when the acBumulator is pushedtowards the left, they engage with the intermediate pinions 48 of thegear driving the accumul ator.- In the former case, .the action is oneof addition, and in the lattercase one of subtraction. The rear ends ofthe lower edges of the transmission racks 31 are provided-with gearteeth 31a (Figs. 6, '7, 8) which are engaged by the toothed sectors 54,these latter,'in turn, carrying on arms 54a typecarriers 55 of theprinting mechanism. In proportion as the racks 31 are moved by, thesetting members 3I with which theyare coupled the type carriers are alsoraised, in a positive manner, so that, in accordance with the setting ofthe racks and type carriers, the values transferred into the,

counting mechanism can be printed on a strip of paper clipped on to aplaten 88 (Fig. 8).

The impression mechanism of the printing device (Figs. 1, 6, 8, .9,)'consists of a number of press pawls 51, corresponding to the number oforders in the accumulator, said pawls being adjacentlydisposed on ashaft 88 fixed in a frame 80" (Figs. 6, 8, 10) adapted to swing platen.The movement of these press pawls 51 about the shaft 58 in the directionof the platen is restricted by a bar 6I (Fig. 9), against which theprojections 81a of the pawls 51 bear. Pressure levers 83 ca ying weights83a are allotted to the pawls 51, and are controlled by springs 84, butare normally held in a neutral position by locking pawls 85 (Figs. 6 and8). In addition a loc'r ng bar 1I common to all the pressure leversmounted in the frame of the machine and engages in notches in the levers83, being released just before the printing operation by devices whichwill be described later.

The locking pawls 88 form part of the zeroprinting device and coact withreleasing pawls 81. the number of which is the same as that oftransmission racks 31. When the corresponding transmission racks are inneutral position, the tip 81a of each releasing pawl 81 engages in arecess 31b of the transmission rack (Fig. 6). As soon as thetransmission rack leaves its original position, its portion passes underthe tip of the pawl, thereby turning the pawls 81 and 85 and effectingthe release of the pressure lever 83 (Fig. 8). On their right side, thepawls 81 are provided with pins- 88, while the left sides are providedwith lugs 83 of such dimensions that, in each case, the pin 88 of eachpawl lies under the lug of the next lower, adjacent pawl, so that if anypawl be raised by its allotted transmission rack all the pawls lying tothe right of a it in Fig. 1 will also be raised whereas, the pawls onthe left will remain in the locked position. In printing a valuecontaining a smaller number of figures than there are orders intheprinting mechanism, the pawls 85, 81 prevent the impression of 0s infront of the first numeral of the multi-numeral value to be printed,

whereas zeros inside the row of numerals are printed.

During the forward movement of the handle I5, the frame 88, ,with thepress pawls 51, is swung, by means of the shaft 45a, shaft 45; curvedmember 48, drawbar 13 (Figs. 1 and 11) and the arm 18, towards theplaten 58,- in such a manner that the press pawls 51 bear against theback of the type carriers 55 and bring the latter so close to the platen58 that the type characters almost touch the paper, whereas the pressurelevers 83 are held at first in their origino.1 position in relation tothe frame of the machine by the bar 1I. During the swinging of the frame80, tension is applied to th springs 840i the pressure levers 83, whichsp ings are attached at one end to the cross bar 8I of the frame 80.Shortly before the handle I5 reaches 'the end of its forward stroke, astriker pin 15 (Fig. 13), which is arranged'on the leverarm I8,connected to the handle, comes into contact with a surface 18 on atwo-armed lever 11 and deflects the latter in such. a manner that itssecond arm moves a pivotal release member 18 (Figs. 13, 14). The arm 18aof the member 18, which turnson two pivots 19 and 88, moves a pin 1Ia onthe bar 1I when said member is deflected and swings the bar 1I out ofthe locking position. A roller '8I, arranged on an angular bend of thesame arm 18a influences a rocking member 82 (Fig. 13) so that'the latterforces a straight-edge 12 (Figs. 13, 6, 8) into the toothed sector 54(Fig. 8); These last described members are relatively arranged so that,in the first place, the straight-edge 12 engages in the tooth gaps ofthe sector 54, after which the arm 7 18a comes in contact with the pin1Ia. and effects the release of the spring-controlled pressure lever 83.The forward movement of the release member 18, brings a locking pawl 84(Fig. 13) controlled by a spring 83, into position behind the arm 18b,and locks the release member until the handle moved back again.

' At the moment th locking bar H is being re. leased, the springs 84swing the pressure levers 83 on the shaft 59 and impart a high velocityto the weights 83a. (Fig. 9). The bent surfaces 82 of the levers 83 thenslide downwards on the rear surfaces 51b of the press pawls 51 and.transforming the kinetic energy of the weights 83a and levers 83 intopressure, press the pawls 51 and-type carriers 55, slowly but forcibly,against the surface of the paper so that the impression on the paper isproduced less by impact than by uniform pressure.

The thrust bar 20, moved by the handle I5 and actuating return mechanismof the car- 78 riage oi the setting members, carries a'pin' 8t 1 (Fig.13) which, at the beginning of the return"- stroke oi the handle it,lifts the curved arm a, of the locking pawl 84 and thus trees thelocking of the release member 18, by which means the straight-edge I2,obeying the pull of a spring 12a (Fig. 8) detaches itself from the teeth01' the sector, and the locking bar 1| is released again. During thefurther return movement of the handle it, the driver 85 actuatedtherebypushes the transmission racks back into, the original position asalready described thus returning the type carriers into their originalposition.

The frame 60 carrying the printing mechanism is also swung back duringthe return of enabled by spring tension to engage in the notches in' thepressure levers.

The return of the pawls 65 into locking position is rendered'possiblethrough the return of the, allotted driving racks into neutral positionso that the'release or control pawls 61 are able to drop into therecesses llb provided in the same, thereby enabling the pawls 65 to moveinto the locking position.

The invention has been described herein as applied to a ten keycalculating machine, but it is to be understood that the invention isnot limited to application to this particular machine nor to those ofsimilar type, and may be employed in any calculating machine withsettable type bars to which the printing force is applied when theytions.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a calculating machine having ordinal actuators and a platen,printing mechanism comprising for each ordinal place a type bar settablerelatively to theprinting line of the platen in accordance with thetravel of the associated actuator, a press pawl movable during the-setting" oi the type bar into a' positionbearing on the back of thetype bar and adapted to hold the operating face of the latter close tothe platen,

a movable weight in which energy is stored during the movement of thepress pawl, and means movable by said weight over the press pawl forconverting the kinetic energy of the weight into pressure appliedthrough said press pawl graduallytosaid typebarduring printing. g

2. Ina calculating machine having ordinal actuators and a platen,printing mechanism comprising for each ordinal place a typebar normallyspaced from the platen, means for setting said typebar relatively to theprinting line '0! the platen in accordance with the travel oi. the

associated actuator, a'press pawl operable during the setting of thetype bar to swing the latter close to the platen, a movable weight inwhich energy is stored during the movement of the press pawl, and meansmovable 'by said weight over the press pawl for converting the kineticenergy of the weight into pressure applied through said press pawlgradually to said type bar during printing.

are in-selected printing posi-- 3.121 a calculating machine'havingactuators and a'platen, printing comprising for each ordinal place atype bar normally spaced from the platen, means ior setting said typebar relatively to the printing 5' line of the platen in accordance withthe travel of the associated actuatona press pawl operable-duringthesettingoi'thetypebartoswingthe ,latter close to the platen, amovable weight in which energy is stored during the movement ofcomprising ordinal type bars normally spaced from the platen, means forsetting said type bars relatively to the printing line of the platen inaccordance with the travel of the associated actuators, means forcausing the .type bars to approach close to the platen at thebeginningof a printing operation, a movable weight assigned to each typebar, means including a spring attached to said weight and tenslonedduring said approach movement of the associated type bar, a locking bararranged to retain the weight .while the spring. is being tensioned,speed-reduce ing force-increasing means- 0 tive between said weight andthe type bar, and means {or releasing the weight to complete themovement of the associated type bar towards'the platen. 5 5.'In a keyset handle operated calculating machine having ordinal actuators and aplaten, printing mechanism comprising ordinal type bars normally 'spacedfrom the platen, means for setting said type bars relatively to theprinting line of the platen in accordance with the travel of theassociated actuators, press pawls operable during the first part of themovement of the handle to swing the type bars close to the platen, I amovableweight assigned to each type bar, means including a springattached to said weight and tensioned during the said swing of theassociated type bar, alocking bararranged toretain the weight while thespring is being tensioned, speed-reducing force-increasing meansoperative between the weights and the press pawls, connections betweenthe handle and the locking bar for releasing the weights to complete themovement 0! thejtype bars towards the platen, and means operable duringthe second part of the operation of the handle to restore said presspawls and weights to normal position.

6. In a printing a'platema type bar, means for causing the type bar toapproach close to the platen at the beginning of printing, meansincluding a flyweight and a spring cooperating therewith ior storingpotential energyand converting it into kinetic energy, a speedreducingforce-increasing device arranged betweenv said flyweight andthe typebar, and means operative after said approach movement of the type bar tocomplete its printing movement under the action of said flyweight anddevice. g

' AUGUST KO'ITMANN.

